Page 33 (1/2)

‘Okay, we don’t need a history lesson now!’ interrupted Arthur Drowned Wednesday was loo the Denizens had been replaced by cries of fear ‘See if you can coet here with a ship and pick us up before Wednesday --’

‘It’s not as simple as that,’ said the Carp ‘I haven’t seen hi hi I’ll have to try and recall what he looked like to begin with Besides, I’m sure that Wednesday won’t eat us up --’

‘Why not use the Mariner’s charm you wear?’ Sunscorch asked Arthur ‘Or is it worn out?’

‘The Mariner’s charm?’ Arthur asked He pulled it out, sank below the surface yet again, and ca back out ‘You end has it,’ replied Sunscorch ‘Doctor Scaone now, like our late Captain Catapillow’

‘I hope Scamandros is still alive,’ said Arthur ‘The Balaena probably just had to leave for some reasonoh! You don’t know The Doctor survived the battle with Feverfew He escaped to end say this disc worked?’

‘You speak into it, and the Mariner hears you,’ said Sunscorch

‘I’ve already done that!’ protested Arthur ‘Heaps of tiot swept up! Carp, you have to contact the Mariner!’

‘Did he have grey hair or was it more white?’ asked the Carp

‘I reckon that whale is shrinking,’ said Suzy

Everyone swam around to look

‘I don’t know,’ said Arthur ‘She looks just as big tos,’ confirh?’

‘Okay,’ said Arthur ‘Even if she is shrinking, we don’t want to te to take the Carp and swile Okay?’

‘No way,’ said Leaf ‘I’ with you, Arthur You’re my ticket home’

‘I want to see what happens,’ said Suzy ‘Besides, if she’s norht her, if we have to’

‘Sunscorch, can you at least start organising all the Denizens to say?’ pleaded Arthur ‘I really do think Wednesday ht not be able to resist temptation’

‘Aye, aye, sir,’ said Sunscorch He touched a knuckle to his head in salute and dived under

‘That’s what you two are supposed to do,’ said Arthur ‘Say ‘aye, aye’ and say’

‘Yeah, as if ould,’ said Leaf ‘You don’t have to do everything by yourself, Arthur’

Arthur didn’t answer He just started swilad not to be alone And Wednesday was getting shtforward after all

‘Does this mean I don’t need to try to reach the ained your faith in me?’

Arthur spat out some water and said, ‘Yes You could say that’

He paused to tread water for a while and rest, and looked behind The Denizens were very slowly beginning to say in the other direction But that wasn’t all that caught Arthur’s eye

‘Is that a ship on the horizon?’

‘A three- her eyes with one hand ‘See, I didn’t waste ood teacher too’

‘The ship’s boy,’ said Arthur, suddenly horror-struck ‘I haven’t seen him! We couldn’t have left him behind, could we?’

‘No,’ said Leaf in a very sh Arthur could see no tears on her sea-washed face ‘HeAlbert gotAlbert got killed when Feverfew attacked the ship I’ve been trying not to think aboutthat’s why I want to go homeII don’t want any more adventures’

Arthur was silent He didn’t knohat to do or say

‘He lived a long tiood times, even if he couldn’t re between the ears And like all of us Piper’s children, he would’ve died long ago if he’d been back on the old Earth Reht you and he’ll always be with you That’s e say, when one of us goes’

‘Drowned Wednesday is almost upon us,’ boomed the Carp suddenly ‘The time has come to release me from my bowl! Lord Arthur, please unscrew the cap’

Arthur wiped his eyes, kicked hard with his legs, and picked up the jar

‘Feverfew is dead, and his bindings with hirown used to the bowl, but no more shall I be imprisoned in any way!’

Arthur unscrewed the lid as he sank, getting it off just as Leaf and Suzy helped him back up They could kick much more efficiently than he could, and he appreciated their help, even if every now and then one of their kicks connected with him rather than a vacant patch of seawater

The Carp swa whale

‘Wednesday!’ roared the Carp ‘I, Part Three of the Will of Our Supreme Creator, the Ultimate Architect of All, do summon thee to fulfill thy duty as Trustee of the said Will!’

Drowned Wednesday slowed, and shrank faster, though she still came forward When she was thirty feet away, she was the size of a misshapen dolphin It leapt into the air -- and when it came down, it was a woman who stood upon the sea as if it were land